Embodiments of the invention disclose methods and devices for assisting birth, and more specifically, methods and devices for assisting a patient to utilize correct abdominal muscles during the second stage of labor.
The birthing process includes three stages. The first stage begins with contractions which cause progressive changes in a patient's cervix, and ends when the patient's cervix is fully dilated. The second stage of labor, also known as the pushing stage, takes place between full dilation of the cervix, and the birth of the patient's fetus. The third stage is completed when the placenta exits the patient. During the second stage of labor, proper use of abdominal muscles to contract the uterus is critical for pushing the fetus down the patient's birth canal. If the patient cannot effectively push the fetus out of her birth canal, then an unplanned cesarean section or vacuum extraction may need to be performed.
Devices have been proposed which assist the expectant mother with using her abdominal muscles during the second stage of labor. Use of these devices, however, often requires the patient to have full control of her legs, which can be impossible with the use of epidural anesthesia. Also, these devices may not provide an efficient position for utilizing correct abdominal muscles to push a fetus down a birth canal. Because of these and other disadvantages, the use of (and benefits from) abdominal muscle assist devices for the second stage of labor has been limited.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide methods and devices that place a patient in an optimal body position for giving birth, and also require the patient to utilize the correct abdominal muscles for pushing a fetus down a birth canal.